ENNESAW, Ga. What would you do if a man in a bar parking lot pointed a gun at you and your friends?
Matt Solon, now 25, leapt into action, disarmed the gunman and whaled on him, making sure he was unable to further advance on him or his friends.
His swift moves seemed heroic to witnesses, but when police arrived, they arrested him. And, only him, that night.
Solon was handcuffed, put in the back of a Kennesaw Police officers cruiser and charged with battery and possessing a firearm during the commission of a crime.
Solon told 11Alive investigators that he was saving his three friends, including a U.S. congressmans son from being shotpolice officers on the scene, said he was an assailant who went too far.
The man who pulled the gun? He wasnt immediately arrestedbut, already had charges pending against him that involved drugs and gun possession.
On April 22, 2017, Cobb County Police found Cooper passed out with his foot on the brake and his car in drive, at an intersection.
Officers located a loaded 9mm handgun in his cars center console, along with scales and a jar full of marijuana.
He was arrested and charged with having an open container, DUI, felony possession of drugs with intent to deliver, and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony.
Coopers bail restrictions did not prohibit him from possessing firearms while he was on bail for felony gun charges.
Cooper is awaiting trial on multiple charges related to the parking lot incident, and he is on probation for Aprils felony drug conviction.
But, now, Solon worries every time he sees a police cruiser in his rearview mirror.
They're going to see this when they run my plate that I've been arrested before, he said.
For a gun-related charge And they're going to think in their head, Oh this guy just had a good lawyer, he got off it.
Cooper did not respond to our requests for an interview.
The how and why of Solons arrest is in dispute. Officer Joshua Hale wrote in his report that when officers arrived on the scene, Solon disobeyed orders and that he told police he took Coopers weapon and struck him in the head with it so he would stay down.
Solon says this is a lie. He alleges in his lawsuit that the police fabricated the statement so they could arrest him after he criticized their handling of the incident. The charges against Solon were eventually dropped, while the charges against Cooper are pending.
The charges against Solon were eventually dropped, while the charges against Cooper are pending.
Once again,none of us know all the details,but it SEEMS to me the cop was pissed that Solon ran his mouth at the cops,so the cops fabricated a BS charge against him for being disrespectful. IF that is what happened,that cop needs to be fired. At a minimum. He should also face assault with a deadly weapon charges.
And yes,this crap does happen. I walked into my neighborhood liquor store in Denver one night and knocked out a guy that was robbing the place. Had a revolver in my pocket,but didn't have the time to draw it,so I hit him,told the owners wife to call the cops,patted him down for weapons (he didn't have one. Just his hand in his coat pocket),and knowing the DPD,gave my revolver to the owners wife and told her to put it under the counter and say it is hers if asked.
The DPD showed up once they had time to bring the SWAT wagon and 3 or 4 patrol cars to escort the Defectives,and the very first thing they did was throw me up against a wall,pat me down,and threaten to arrest me for interfering in police business.
If I had lived in Denver for another 2 years,I would have been sniping at them from rooftops.